U.S. Courts
Location
Anchorage, AK | United States
Job description
Probation Officers serve in a judiciary law enforcement capacity and serve under the direction of the Administrative Office of the United States Court. Officers assist in the fair administration of justice, promote community safety, gather information, supervise defendants and offenders, interact with collateral agencies, conduct investigations, prepare reports, and present recommendations to the Court.
Selected candidates will be placed at Classification Level (CL) 25, 27, or 28, depending on qualifications and experience and/or budgetary considerations. Promotion potential up to Classification Level (CL) 28 is without further competition. The incumbent must exercise sound judgement, maintain confidentiality, work harmoniously with others, foster high ethical standards, and demonstrate unquestioned integrity in a fast-paced environment. The position will be assigned representative duties based on the skills and qualifications of the successful candidate and the needs of the agency.
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
Conduct investigations and prepares reports for the Court with recommendations, which requires interviewing offenders/defendants and their families, as well as collecting background data from various sources.
Interpret and apply policies, procedures, statutes, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures, and U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Tracks legal developments, and updates staff and the Court.
Investigates and analyzes financial documents and activities and takes appropriate action. Interviews victim(s) and provides victim impact statements to the Court. Ensures compliance with Mandatory Victims Restitution Act.
Analyze and respond to any objections. This may include resolving disputed issues and presenting unresolved issues to the Court for resolution.
Investigate employment, sources of income, lifestyle, and associates to assess risk and compliance. Addresses substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, and similar problems and implements the necessary treatment or violation proceedings, through assessment, monitoring, and counseling.
Enforce court-ordered supervision components and implements supervision strategies.
Maintain personal contact with defendants and offenders through office and community contacts to maximize adherence to imposed conditions, reduce risk of danger to the community, reduce risk of nonappearance, and to provide correctional treatment.
Schedule and conduct drug use detection tests and DNA collection of offenders/defendants, following established procedures and protocols. Maintains records of test results and chain of custody of urinalysis testing materials. Maintains detailed record of case activity. Conducts surveillance and/or search and seizure at the direction of the Court.
Enforce home confinement conditions ordered by the Court and performs home confinement reintegration on behalf of the Bureau of Prisons.
Assess risk level of offender/defendant and develops a blend of strategies for controlling and correcting risk management.
Identify and investigate violations and implements appropriate alternatives and sanctions. Reports violations of the conditions of supervision to the Court. Prepares written reports of violation matters and makes recommendations for disposition. Testifies at court or parole hearings.
Communicate with other organizations and persons (such as the U.S. Parole Commission, Bureau of Prisons, law enforcement, treatment agencies, and attorneys) concerning offender's/defendant's behavior and conditions of supervision.
Respond to judicial officer's request for information and advice. Testifies in court as to the basis for factual findings and (if warranted) guideline applications. Serves as a resource to the Court.
Consistently demonstrates sound ethics and judgment.
Maintain personal contact with individuals on supervision in the community, office, and telephonically.
Maintain case records as required by statute or by the court, the Administrative Offices of the U.S. Courts, and the Chief U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Officer; document interactions and events related to representative duties as directed under existing policies and procedures.
Knowledge of and compliance with The Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Ability to consistently demonstrate sound ethics and judgment.
Travel is required to perform job duties.
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS AND BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
The duties of Probation/Pretrial Services officers require the investigation and management of alleged offenders or convicted offenders who present physical danger to officers and to the public. In the supervision, treatment, and control of offenders, these duties require moderate to arduous physical exercise, including prolonged periods of walking and standing, physical dexterity, and coordination necessary for officer safety, and use of self-defense tactics. On a daily basis, officers face unusual mental and physical stress because they are subject to danger and possible harm during frequent, direct contact with individuals who are suspected or convicted of committing federal offenses.
Because officers must effectively deal with physical attacks and are subject to moderate to arduous physical exertion, applicants must be physically capable. Probation officers must possess, with or without corrective lenses, good distant vision in at least one eye and have the ability to read normal size print. Normal hearing ability, with or without a hearing aid, is required. Any severe health problems, such as physical defects, disease, or deformities that constitute employment hazards to the applicant or others, may disqualify an applicant. Examples of health problems that may be disqualifying are untreated hernia, cardiovascular disorders, serious deformities or disabilities of the extremities, mental health disorders, fainting and/or seizure disorders, metabolic disorders, bleeding disorders, pulmonary disorders, or marked speech abnormalities.
Prior to appointment, the selectee considered for the position will undergo a medical examination and drug screening. Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screening, the selectee may then be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable suitability determination by the Court. In addition, as conditions of employment, the incumbent will be subject to ongoing random drug screening, updated background investigations every five years and, as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause, may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations.
The medical requirements and essential job functions derived from the medical guidelines for Probation and Pretrial Services officers and Officer Assistants are available for public review on the USCourts.gov website under Officer and Officer Assistant Medical Requirements.
For all classification levels: Candidate must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study, which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relations skills involved in the position.
In addition to meeting the required education identified above, applicants at each grade level must also have additional education or specialized experience as described below:
CL-25 - Candidate must possess one year of specialized experience or completion of the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and one of the following superior academic achievement requirements:
Please read the "Qualifications" section.
U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services Officers transferring from another district are not required to undergo a medical examination, drug testing, or have an initial OPM background investigation. However, all applicable standards for the medical and for the background reinvestigation apply. The Chief U.S. Probation Officer may, at their discretion, request drug and/or medical testing be conducted if, through direct observation or objective evidence, finds an officer is unable to perform the essential job functions, as defined in the medical guidelines. Also, at the Chief's discretion, the most recent reinvestigation report completed on behalf of the officer may be examined as part of the recruitment process.
MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE
First-time appointees to positions covered under the law enforcement officer retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants 37 or over who have previous law enforcement officer experience under the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees' Retirement System, and who have either a subsequent break in service or intervening service in a non-law enforcement officer position, may have their previous law enforcement officer experience subtracted from their age to determine whether they meet the maximum age requirement.
BENEFITS
The U.S. District Court falls within the Judicial Branch of the U.S. Government. Judiciary employees serve under the "Excepted Appointment" and are considered "At-Will" employees. As such, employment may be terminated by either the employer or the employee with or without cause. Benefits include participation in the Federal Employees' Retirement System which contributes to the Social Security Retirement Program, Federal Employees' Health Benefits, Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance, Thrifts Savings Plan (like a 401(k) plan with employer matching contributions), paid holidays and annual/sick leave accrual. An overview of Federal Judiciary benefits is accessible at:
Benefits
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You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Please read the "Next steps" section for more information.
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Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
Please read the "How to Apply" section.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
Applicants must email the following items in a single PDF document to [email protected] in the following order:
United States District Court, District of Alaska
222 W. 7th Avenue, Box 4, Rm 229
Anchorage, AK 99513
US
Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Selected candidates will be invited to participate in an interview and/or testing. Reference checks will be conducted on top candidates. Final selected applicants will be subject to a preliminary credit, employment, and criminal history background check. More than one candidate may be selected from the applicant pool.
New selectees are subject to a ten-year background check or investigation, including fingerprint and criminal record checks, and subsequent favorable suitability determination as a condition of employment. Selectees to high-sensitive positions are subject to updated background investigations every five years. The Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages. Additional information regarding the United States Courts can be viewed at
The United States Probation/Pretrial Services Office reserves the right to modify the conditions of this vacancy announcement or to withdraw the announcement without prior notice. The United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the District of Alaska is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Please read the "How to Apply" section.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Career Salary Range CL 25 ($56,441-$90,328) + 1.69% COLA; Career Salary Range CL 27 ($65,551-$106,564) + 1.69% COLA; and Career Salary Range CL 28 ($78,565-$127,773) + 1.69% COLA. Open until filled, initial review date March 7, 2024.
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